Unusual and little-known sights of Derbent

We have visited all, or almost all, the sights of Derbent, and we tell you about it in detail and honestly. You will find out what is definitely worth seeing in Derbent, opening hours and the price of visiting attractions, how to get to them yourself and where they are on the map. Be sure to read everything, because there is no other such detailed and honest guidebook anymore 😉. Well, if you still have any questions or just want to talk about holidays in Dagestan, join 💬 to our useful chat about holidays in Dagestan.

Almost every guest of the tourist capital of Dagestan knows or has heard of such top sights of Derbent as the Naryn-Kala fortress, the light and music fountain, the old quarter of Magala, the Juma Mosque. However, in Derbent there are still a lot of interesting and unusual sights that are almost unknown to mass tourists. Moreover, some of these attractions have been opened for visiting recently, i.e. these are completely new tourist places.

If you are one of those who likes to look for something unusual and away from the tourist trails, then for you we have prepared a list of the best little-known sights of Derbent with an indication of opening hours, entrance fees, where they are and how to visit on your own:

Derbent Tourist Mile

This is a walking tourist route through Derbent, passing through the entire city center along the fortress wall from the historical district of Magala to the Nizami Ganjavi Park with the famous light and music fountain. In other words, this is a new pedestrian zone in Derbent, very beautiful and beautifully equipped after the renovation of tourist places in the city. The length of the tourist mile is a little more than a kilometer, although if you also include an equipped footpath along the old district of Magala, it turns out as much as 2 kilometers. On the route there are places for recreation, shops, modern installations in the traditional Caucasian style, as well as genre sculptures reflecting the way of life, traditions and history of the peoples of Dagestan. There are information boards with a map and a description of the route and objects on it, so the walk will also be informative. You will see part of the masonry of the fortress wall, its foundation and the ancient city water supply system, which is considered one of the oldest in the world. Learn more about the tourist mile of Derbent here.

The current Kirkhlar Hamam of the XVII century

The operating hamam of the XVII century or Kirkhlar Hamam is located on the outskirts of the old town of Magala in Derbent. And it really works, it can be visited, and according to fairly strict traditional rules: only couples or families with a marriage certificate can visit together, joint visits by different families are prohibited. You need to register here in advance, preferably a few weeks in advance, for this you will need to make an advance payment. Read more about Kyrkhlyar Hamam here.

Fatima al-Zahra Mosque

This is a small mosque in a narrow alley of the old town of Derbent, and apparently for this reason it is one of the most obscure and unusual mosques of Derbent by tourists. It is really located in a dead end of the streets, it is not easy to find it, there are no signs. But if you use the map and navigator, then you can easily find it, just read where it is located at the end of the article in the "how to get there" section. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get inside the mosque during prayer, it is closed. And tourists, as you know, cannot enter mosques during prayer, so as not to distract believers. So tourists can only inspect it from the outside. Read more about the Fatima al-Zahra Mosque here.

Bala Mosque

This is an old mosque in the old town of Derbent, a monument of history and architecture of federal significance. To be honest, it is difficult to call it one of the "top" and spectacular sights of the city, but if you are walking along the tourist route in the old town, we advise you to definitely pay attention to it. The mosque was built in the period from the XI to the XIX century and is an example of a typical quarter mosque. During the siege of Derbent in 1796 by Russian troops under the command of General V. Zubov, the building was severely damaged. After that, a new mosque was erected in its place in the form of a one-story building with a flat roof, but without a dome. In this form you will see it today. The inscription at the entrance indicates that the new building was erected in 1225 AH (which corresponds to 1812). Read more about the Bala Mosque here.

Kilisa-mosque

The current quarter mosque and architectural monument in the old town of Derbent is located almost in the center of Magala on the shopping area. This is one of those attractions that tourists pass by without paying much attention to it or even noticing a mosque in it. And this is not surprising, because there is little in its architecture that gives away the cult structure of Muslims. But with all this, this is a place with a rich history. The exact time of the initial construction of the Kilis mosque is unknown. Indirectly, the century of its appearance is evidenced by architectural elements that are difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish. In particular, the portal has signs of Derbent architecture of the XVII-early XIX century. At the same time, the official tourist plaque on the building indicates that this is a mosque of the XI century, but we could not find any evidence of this from open sources. Learn more about Kilisa Mosque here.

Oriental men's bath

This is one of the historical sights of the old city of Derbent and also a museum. Inside the bathhouse there is a modest exposition telling about the history and traditions of oriental baths, which served not just as a place for ablution, but also for strengthening strength and uplifting spirits, relaxation, conducting friendly and business conversations. Such public baths played an important role in a Muslim city, being an integral part of social life, and were usually located close to neighborhood mosques. Read more about the Oriental men's bath here.

Railway Station and Museum of Russian Railways

It is one of the most beautiful railway stations in Russia and the Caucasus. The building stands out from the surrounding buildings with its unusual architecture. It is simply impossible to pass by and not admire. This operating transport facility is located in the city center. The station was built in 1899, and about a year before that the first steam locomotive arrived here. Here, on the territory of the 1st floor in one of the former waiting rooms in July 2017, the Museum of Railway History or the Room of Labor and Military Glory of the Derbent railway junction was organized. Learn more about the railway station and the Russian Railways Museum here.

Derbent Embankment and Seaside Park

The Derbent embankment and the Seaside Park are the main place for walking along the coast during a holiday in Derbent, one might even say, the epicenter of tourist beach life. Moreover, this is the only full-fledged promenade in Dagestan, and there is no such even in Makhachkala. It is well equipped, repairs were carried out on it in 2022, the space for walking was increased, and now the pedestrian path to Heydar Aliyev Street in the center has also been extended. As on any other seaside promenade, fast food is sold here, there are simple children's attractions, a fountain works, there are pavilions with souvenirs and leisure goods. Read more about Debent Embankment here.

"Happy People" Street

This is a new wonderful walking area in Derbent and one of the most crowded places for tourists and locals in the city center, especially in the evenings. This pedestrian street appeared in Derbent after a large-scale reconstruction of the tourist center of the city in recent years, after which it simply blossomed, and the street of "happy people" is located in its very epicenter. It is not very long, about 350 meters, but completely pedestrian. In the evenings it is very beautifully illuminated, several genre sculptures are installed here, restaurants and cafes are open, street fast food is sold, excursion distributors put up racks with booklets, and sometimes street artists appear and artists exhibit their works. There is also an "Indoor market" or "Passage" shopping center – this is such a small shopping center with local goods for tourists and souvenirs. Learn more about the street of Happy people here.

Kyrkhlyar Mosque

In the old town there is another monument of history and architecture – the Kirkhlyar Mosque or Abulfazil-Abbas mosque. It is a small stone mosque with one dome without a minaret. The building dates back to 1627. During the period from the XVII to the XIX century, it was rebuilt and reconstructed more than once. This is clearly visible if you look closely at the walls, sometimes lined with different bricks. Its internal content with a carved stone mihrab in the form of a floral ornament is also interesting. Read more about the Kyrkhlyar Mosque here.

Kyrkhlyar Cemetery

On the outskirts of the Old City of Derbent there is the oldest Muslim burial site in the Caucasus – the Kyrkhlyar cemetery. The oldest graves are located in the center of the cemetery and are fenced with a brick fence. They are stone whitewashed tombstones, there are exactly 40 of them in number. It is an important place for Muslims and a place of pilgrimage for the deeply religious. In addition to the graves of the soldiers, there are many other ancient burials of different periods, up to the present, and the Tuta-bike mausoleum. Learn more about the Kyrkhlyar cemetery here.

Crystal Bridge

Near the northern fortress wall in 2021, a new tourist location appeared in Derbent – the Crystal Bridge or the Glass Bridge. This is a modern pedestrian transparent bridge, walking along which below under the glass dome you can see the excavations of an ancient aqueduct that was part of the fortress of the ancient city. Nearby there are stone slabs with Arabic inscriptions, the meaning of which can be found from the information plate installed nearby. Read more about the crystal bridge here.

Historical buildings and architecture of the XIX century

Derbent is rich and interesting not only in ancient history, but also in later historical buildings and architectural monuments of the XIX – early XX centuries. While walking around the city center (not in the Magala area), especially along Lenin Street, you will meet many buildings of this period recognized as cultural and architectural monuments of regional significance. You can find out such buildings by the signs fixed on the facade of the building, but, unfortunately, they do not give any information about their significance and history. But they have QR codes on them, after reading which you can get to the page with the description. Learn more about historical buildings and architecture of the XIX century in Derbent here.

Cafe "Diamond Hand"

Cafe "Diamond Hand" is a small family cafe in the old district of Magala, known for being very similar to the place where the famous Soviet film "Diamond Hand" was shot. It's about an episode near a pharmacy where smugglers were waiting for their accomplice to bandage his hand and put diamonds there using the code phrase "Damn it." According to the script of the film, these events took place on the streets of Istanbul, and the film was shot in the then Soviet city of Baku, and not in Derbent. But this place in Magaly is so similar to the footage from the movie that many tourists really think that this episode was filmed here. Read more about the Kubachi ethnodome here.

Street painting or Street art

While walking around the city, you can pay attention to the large paintings on the walls of residential buildings. The art is called street art or Street painting, and is becoming more and more popular in Derbent, and such images are called murals. Every year the festival "Wall" is held here, which attracts many artists. After the event, the city is transformed, the dull facades of houses are decorated with new colorful paintings, which will be admired for a long time not only by residents of the city, but also by guests. All the drawings are made in local traditions, whether it's a girl with a jug or a cup on the table. Learn more about street painting or Street art in Derbent here.